This invention relates to a tray to hold and display a plurality of toothbrushes. More particularly, this invention relates to a tray, and a method for making this tray, the tray to be in a vertical orientation to display the toothbrushes.
Toothbrushes are displayed for sale in various ways. They can be hung form a rod and for that purpose each toothbrush package will have a notch or aperture at an upper end. The rod will be attached to a peg board for support. Another way to display toothbrushes at the point of sale is to use a rack such as is disclosed in Thailand Patent Application 52263. In this latter rack the toothbrushes are supported at a lower end. The brush that is to be purchased will be selected and lifted out of the rack. In yet another known display for packaged toothbrushes, the toothbrush packages are inserted horizontally into raised slots on each end of the toothbrush display tray. This latter display tray provides for a full view of the brush at the point of sale, however, the packaged toothbrushes must be assembled onto the display by hand. This is a costly and time-consuming packaging technique.
The present display technique solves the problem of a way to display packaged toothbrushes in a horizontal array in a cost efficient manner. In the present toothbrush display the packaging of the toothbrushes for display at the point of sale has been fully automated reducing the need for hand labor. Further, there is less waste in manufacturing this point of sale display packaging. This is a significant advantage when hand labor can be reduced and wastage reduced.
This invention is directed to a display for toothbrushes at the point of sale and the method of making this display. The display holds the toothbrushes in a vertical orientation with each toothbrush in a separate package and in a horizontal orientation. The display is easier to use and can be constructed at a reduced cost.
The toothbrush display comprises a generally rectangular sheet of material having an upper section and a lower product display section. The product display section aids in holding a plurality of toothbrushes in a horizontal array. A plastic layer having a plurality of recesses the shape of a toothbrush is overlayed by the sheet of material and is attached to the sheet of material over the area of contact with the sheet of material. Around each of the toothbrushes which are held in a recess closed by the sheet of material, there is a weakened area provided by perforations, serrations and/or slits so that each packaged toothbrush can be removed separately. The sheet of material preferably will be a paperboard while the plastic layer preferably will be a thermoformable plastic. Further, in one preferred mode, the plastic layer substantially overlays the full sheet of material.
The toothbrush display tray is made by producing the plastic layer with a plurality of recesses, each recess being of a size and shape to accommodate a toothbrush. A toothbrush is placed into each recess and a sheet of material is layed over at least the section of the plastic layer which contains the toothbrush filled recesses, and then bonded to the plastic layer by adhesive or heat bonding. Simultaneous with or subsequent to the bonding, the perforations, serrations and/or slits are formed around each toothbrush. This forms an individual package for each toothbrush, and an individual package that can be removed from the array of packages by severing the perforations, serrations and/or slits around a particular toothbrush package. The individual toothbrush packages can be removed in any order.
The preferred method of bonding the plastic layer to the sheet of material is by heat bonding. In this method the sheet of material has an outer heat activated adhesive or plastic layer. Upon the sheet of material and plastic layer being brought into contact with pressure heat is applied to activate an adhesive or to soften a plastic surface of the sheet of material and of the plastic layer. This bonds the sheet of material to the plastic layer.
At the time of the perforations, serrations and/or slits being formed around each toothbrush, or prior to or after that time, an aperture can be formed adjacent an upper edge of the display tray so that the filled display tray can be hung from a hook or peg, either directly or indirectly at the point of sale.
In use a purchaser of a toothbrush will choose a toothbrush and remove this toothbrush from the display tray by severing the perforations around the chosen toothbrush.